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Results of Scotland's first National Cancer Patient Experience Survey released

Thanks to our award-winning campaign and our supporters, Scotland has a detailed analysis of the quality of its cancer services for the first time so we can now start targeting where improvements need to be made.

Today the results of the first Cancer Patient Experience Survey for Scotland have been released. This is the first survey of its kind north of the border and covers responses from almost 5,000 cancer patients on a wide range of areas of their experience, including diagnosis, treatment and care. The results will be used to help inform the Scottish National Health Service about improvements to meet the needs of patients and where efforts should be focused to reduce regional variations.

Up until now, Scotland has been the only area in the UK for which this kind of data has not been captured. With the support of hundreds of campaigners from across Scotland, we've lobbied the Scottish Government to address this inequality via our award-winning campaign, ‘Men United V Prostate Cancer: Five Inequalities, Five solutions’, in partnership with other charities via the Scottish Cancer Coalition.

Thank you to everyone who helped ensure the message was heard. Now men with prostate cancer in Scotland can start benefitting from the same kind of detailed analysis of service provision as those elsewhere

"We strongly welcome this first Cancer Patient Experience Survey for Scotland," says Catherine Winsor, our Head of Improving Care. "Our campaigning work – and all those behind it – played a major role in ensuring this survey got the go ahead and we are proud to have been on the advisory board for the project, representing the needs of those affected by prostate cancer in its development.

"Scotland no longer stands out as the only UK nation without a survey of this kind. The results of this important study can now shape and improve the country’s cancer services, making sure people with cancer across Scotland experience high standards in treatment and care – no matter where they live. We will undertake a detailed analysis of the results so we know where men’s experience of prostate cancer treatment and care needs to be improved and where we will need to apply pressure to make this happen."

Cancer Patient Experience surveys

We've been working to make sure all UK nations are recording cancer patients’ experience of treatment - information which is key to addressing any issues with care.